RESULTS - Saturday April 20 2024

[Dave Deacon]

PREMIER SOUTH

AFC Totton             2-0          Merthyr Town

Basingstoke Town    3-1      Dorchester Town

Chesham United   1-2          Bracknell Town

Hanwell Town       1-0          Hungerford Town

Harrow Borough   1-2          Tiverton Town

Hayes & Yeading United    0-2    Salisbury

Hendon                  0-0          Gosport Borough

Plymouth Parkway    2-2     Walton & Hersham

Poole Town            2-0          Didcot Town

Sholing                   3-0          Swindon Supermarine

Winchester City    1-0          Beaconsfield Town

 

DIVISION ONE SOUTH

Bashley                   0-0          Tavistock

Bemerton Heath Harlequins     1-2  Mousehole

Bristol Manor Farm     3-0  Melksham Town

Evesham United   3-2          Willand Rovers

Exmouth Town      1-2          Paulton Rovers

Larkhall Athletic    4-3          Bideford

Malvern Town       0-3          Westbury United

Wimborne Town  1-1          Frome Town

Yate Town              3-3          Cribbs

[Ian Pethick]

Parkway's three crucial home matches in the next five days are being promoted as "The Last Dance."

Does this mean that this is potentially the end of an era at Bolitho, and that major changes are on the way?

[silly billy]

39 minutes ago, Ian Pethick said:

Parkway's three crucial home matches in the next five days are being promoted as "The Last Dance."

Does this mean that this is potentially the end of an era at Bolitho, and that major changes are on the way?

Yes

[sportsman10]

Well it was great to get  back to a sun drenched bolitho for the game even if I did accidentally leave my sunglasses in the car so spent the first half trying watch the game through squinting eyes. . Mind you I think parkway  did the same thing for 60 odd mins 2 poor goals and looked a bit beaten. 2 nil down and I honestly couldn’t see parkway coming back but the subs changed the game. Callum hall come on like a bundle of energy and seem to give the team belief  and was everywhere ( if fit he should be starting ) he scored a with a cracking finish and was in involved a with parkway  rescue a point . 
It might turn out to be a good point in the end but there looked like some tired bodies out there at end.
Another tough one Monday. 
 

6 hours ago, Ian Pethick said:

Parkway's three crucial home matches in the next five days are being promoted as "The Last Dance."

Does this mean that this is potentially the end of an era at Bolitho, and that major changes are on the way?

Yes I did find that odd to call it that. Lot of rumours swirling around.  Maybe the great escape would have been a better promoted. 

[Ian Pethick]

On 20/04/2024 at 18:19, sportsman10 said:

Well it was great to get  back to a sun drenched bolitho for the game even if I did accidentally leave my sunglasses in the car so spent the first half trying watch the game through squinting eyes. . Mind you I think parkway  did the same thing for 60 odd mins 2 poor goals and looked a bit beaten. 2 nil down and I honestly couldn’t see parkway coming back but the subs changed the game. Callum hall come on like a bundle of energy and seem to give the team belief  and was everywhere ( if fit he should be starting ) he scored a with a cracking finish and was in involved a with parkway  rescue a point . 
It might turn out to be a good point in the end but there looked like some tired bodies out there at end.
Another tough one Monday. 
 

Yes I did find that odd to call it that. Lot of rumours swirling around.  Maybe the great escape would have been a better promoted. 

Doubt that teenager Dylan Jones will score many more important goals. Parkway now have a bit of life raft to take into next week's games.

 

[Both Sides of the Tamar]

Parkway 2 W & H 2

This could prove to be a vital point for Parkway, but for most of the game I Ifelt it looked a tired team lacking in ideas, with  - Dylan Jones excepted - little to offer up front. Like a lot of struggling teams failing to score goals,  they started brightly enough with an acrobatic attempt by Reece Thompson and a free header that Jack  Crago put wide. 20 minutes gone and PPFC haven’t scored and the confidence and energy levels slip for the next hour.

41 minutes a mixture of brilliance and  catastrophic defending see the visitors in front. Josh Tobin picks the ball up in the middle of his own half, runs unchecked for 30  yards, spots Pakes hopelessly off his line and lobs him from 35+ yards. No tackle on him at any point. 
 

In the second half W & H we’re pretty comfortable. Solid but not flashy with dangerous outlets out wide. Dylan Jones, was the only offensive player who carried any guile or threat. He kept running, probling, and seeking to drag defenders out of position all afternoon. Deservedly MOTM. Overall, W & H kept their shape, defended well and on 65 minutes looked to have concluded a ‘classic away performance’ by going two up. A low Flaherty strike was got down to well by Pakes in the home goal but luck was not on his side. His parried response was met by a smart finish from a tightish angle by Josh Powell.

82 minutes sees a lifeline for Parkway. A slide rule pass from the Jones on the left and a neat finish from Callum Hall. Game on! The crowd gets behind their boys! On 88 minutes a ball into the box’ the head of Matt Wright and Jones responds quickest to the loose ball and lashes it into the foot of the net. That old Parkway never-say-die spirit pulls a point out of nowhere. The remaining minutes were fantastic. Both teams piled forward looking for a win. Breathless stuff, but it ends at 2-2!

The point gained should not disguise that Parkway are way off where they need and would hope to be. Sure, right now, they are running on empty, but even with a full tank some are just not good enough. Whilst the tactic of lumping it into the box and aiming for Wright’s head did work yesterday, it’ll not do so often. Slow ponderous forwards don’t do well at Step 3. He makes  Adam Carter look speedy this fella! Thompson not good enough for this level. Crago a winger not a forward. JBE came on and did little. They need goals this week and Dylan Jones can’t come up with the goods every time.
 

Pakes, the under rated Callum Hall, Williams, Jones, Purrington, the injured Lane and White (for experience and know-how) I’d keep for the next season….. maybe Rose and Crago too, but the rest are not good enough for SLP football. I think a change  in the dugout needed too. I know Parkway fans love Hobbs, understandably due to past successes, but his limitations are obvious too. Bellowing inane nonsense from the touch line is not leadership! Even he was pretty muted until late on yesterday.
 

As with Truro City, the fixture list has added to, and partially created, Parkway’s troubles. No competition integrity to seen in this league. Four games in eight days to finish a torrid season with points desperately needed. Unfair. No recognition of player welfare and that these players have jobs to go to. Despite all this, it is a poor side at PPFC. If they ‘get out of jail’ this week drastic personnel surgery will be needed for Step 3.

Having seen Parkway a few times this season, the swagger of old, intensity and self belief and the sense that Parkway would prevail has been entirely missing. Obviously with a ‘Ben Seymour’ level striker they would be staying up, but the malaise goes deeper than that, IMO. What say others?

[Volkie80]

You seem to be focussing on the strikers performance when Parkway are leaking goals too easily. They lost 4-0 in the week, so how can the forwards be to blame for that?!?! In my opinion, Parkway need to focus on defending first and building on that. Until they understand this, nothing will change. A prime example of this was when W & H scored the first goal. The Brant reaction was to blame the forwards, when the formation was to blame. They needed 3 up top to give the strikers a fair chance and when they did this in the second half, low and behold….

The players who play at this level are all capable. The difference in results is how you play as a team. The players are all at the right level, they just need pointing in the right direction….

 

 

[tfenlon]

38 minutes ago, Volkie80 said:

You seem to be focussing on the strikers performance when Parkway are leaking goals too easily. They lost 4-0 in the week, so how can the forwards be to blame for that?!?! In my opinion, Parkway need to focus on defending first and building on that. Until they understand this, nothing will change. A prime example of this was when W & H scored the first goal. The Brant reaction was to blame the forwards, when the formation was to blame. They needed 3 up top to give the strikers a fair chance and when they did this in the second half, low and behold….

The players who play at this level are all capable. The difference in results is how you play as a team. The players are all at the right level, they just need pointing in the right direction….

 

 

8th best defence in the division. 3rd worst attack.

[Both Sides of the Tamar]

3 hours ago, Volkie80 said:

You seem to be focussing on the strikers performance when Parkway are leaking goals too easily. They lost 4-0 in the week, so how can the forwards be to blame for that?!?! In my opinion, Parkway need to focus on defending first and building on that. Until they understand this, nothing will change. A prime example of this was when W & H scored the first goal. The Brant reaction was to blame the forwards, when the formation was to blame. They needed 3 up top to give the strikers a fair chance and when they did this in the second half, low and behold….

The players who play at this level are all capable. The difference in results is how you play as a team. The players are all at the right level, they just need pointing in the right direction….

 

 

For where PPFC are in the league the defence, with exceptions like the one you raise, are doing respectably well. The stats say the goal threat is limited. In the games I've seen performances have been variable, but the attack has (irrespective of who has played) been persistently blunt.

Further, is there ever much of a plan B when things not going so well. Hobbs is many things, but a tactician he is not!

[Both Sides of the Tamar]

3 hours ago, Volkie80 said:

You seem to be focussing on the strikers performance when Parkway are leaking goals too easily. They lost 4-0 in the week, so how can the forwards be to blame for that?!?! In my opinion, Parkway need to focus on defending first and building on that. Until they understand this, nothing will change. A prime example of this was when W & H scored the first goal. The Brant reaction was to blame the forwards, when the formation was to blame. They needed 3 up top to give the strikers a fair chance and when they did this in the second half, low and behold….

The players who play at this level are all capable. The difference in results is how you play as a team. The players are all at the right level, they just need pointing in the right direction….

 

 

I wouldn't currently call Matt Wright 'capable" !! Reece Thomson looked an exciting prospect when at the Ashes as a youngster, but his game has not developed further. JB-E, the jury is out until properly fit, but a big challenge to be a Step 3 striker.  I hope he cuts it as I've enjoyed watching him at his previous clubs. Jack Crago, I loved him out wide at Tavi. He is an exciting, hard working winger, but not a striker. He has done his best more centrally but that has to be a stop-gap solution, not a season-long one. I single out the front line, as in games I've seen, this area is where the greatest deficiency in my book.

I've not forgotten Dylan Jones! An exciting talent who can hopefully only get better. He is not ready yet to be the main front man. I'm not sure that is where I'd want him either. A No 10 to be?

[sportsman10]

I think Reece Thompson got something there to be kept on. He offer something different and works hard. 
matt wright time was up about 3 or 4 years ago. Never saw the point of that signing. 
also Crago  for me willing runner but not that level and needs upgrading. 
 

be interesting next season.  Be even more interesting to see if Lee still there.  Has looked like this season has got to him a bit that enthusiasm has disappeared 

[tfenlon]

8 hours ago, sportsman10 said:

be interesting next season.  Be even more interesting to see if Lee still there.  Has looked like this season has got to him a bit that enthusiasm has disappeared 

Darren Way has been at the last 3 Parkway games. He's obviously well within his rights to watch whatever football he pleases, but to adapt the metaphor there are a couple of 2s that somebody could certainly put together there. Interesting is exactly the word.

[sportsman10]

24 minutes ago, tfenlon said:

Darren Way has been at the last 3 Parkway games. He's obviously well within his rights to watch whatever football he pleases, but to adapt the metaphor there are a couple of 2s that somebody could certainly put together there. Interesting is exactly the word.

I thought he might been there watch Dylan jones. Or that the rumour. Isn’t he at fleetwood ?  
still expect big changes next year at parkway. 
 

[tfenlon]

31 minutes ago, sportsman10 said:

I thought he might been there watch Dylan jones. Or that the rumour. Isn’t he at fleetwood ?  
still expect big changes next year at parkway. 
 

Left Fleetwood in January